Apologies
by KC-Chick
Summary: I'm not gonna apologize for liking you. [Ellie's POV] [Crellie.] [Complete.]
1. Chapter 1

Summary: "I'm not gonna apologize for liking you."

Disclaimer: Not mine. The quote in the summary, not mine. The quote in here by Marco, not mine either. Yeah, yeah, you know all this already.

A/N: Drabble. Pretty much. Needed to get it out of my system. I also needed to write something Crellie. Enjoy. As always, review. Those make me happy.

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Apologize? _Apologize_?! He actually said he wasn't going to apoligize for liking me?

Okay, so maybe it shouldn't be that shocking to me. But someone not apologizing for something good? This was new.

The only things I never got apologies for were bad things.

Marco felt bad about the whole gay thing and not being able to kiss me back. But it wasn't his fault he rolled the other way. He tried. He couldn't. Oh. Well. I'm over it.

Sean? Sean just left. And didn't really apologize for it. He kind of had this sorry look in his eye, but that's about as close as I got to an apology.

And Craig? Ha. Don't make me roll on the floor.

The only thing Craig ever attempted to apologize for was picking Manny. But remember, I said _attempt_ here. And this was all over another girl. But with Jesse it was about me.

That's right. Me.

Ellie Nash.

Not macro-slut Manny Santos.

Not look-at-me-I-whine-about-everything Ashley Kerwin. (And yeah, she is my best friend, but is it not true?)

So sue me for being shocked at the attention for once.

And I mean genuine hey-I-like-you _blunt_ attention here.

We can safely say Jesse is the king of blunt. I'd like to think it comes with the whole "I'm the editor of _The Core_" thing.

We can also safely say Craig is the king of oblivious. I think he was just born with that.

Wow polar extremes much?

I would have to agree with you on that one.

So we've got Jesse. Tall. Dark. Handsome. Writer type. Editor. Totally gorgeous.

And we've got Craig. Tall. Dark. Handsome. Musician type. Singer. Totally gorgeous.

Dilemma? I agree on that one too.

We've forgotten one little detail though.

Jessie is _here_. Craig is _not_.

And this has to play a factor. Right...?

So then why the hell am I on a plane to Vancouvor right now?

Uh yeah. You. Tell. Me. Because I have no fucking idea.

---

Alright, I think you may deserve some background here.

I'm with Jesse. Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. Say it with me this time. Jess-eee.

And I've told him about almost every person who is/used to be/somehow affected me/ in my life.

He's heard about Marco and Dylan. (That was after inquiring who the two boys I was living with are.)

He's heard about Miss Whiney. (You know who I'm talking about, yes?)

He's heard about Jimmy. (That explanation came with the Miss Whiney one.)

And Alex, Jay, Manny (I went off on a rant one day), Paige (she called when we were ahem in the office.) And yes, he's even heard about Sean.

He's heard about my dad and his soldier history. He's heard about my mother and the alcohol thing.

Notice anyone missing? Maybe a shaggy haired musician kid that came up after mine and Jesse's (almost) first kiss?

(Ahem), and I quote here "Guess this means you're officially over Craig?"

That inquiry came from Marco.

However, I didn't really think about his question. (I think he meant it to be retorical anyway.) Not right away.

I did think about it right before I kissed Jesse the first time.

And I did think about it the one time that he tried to tickle me.

And I also thought about it every time he called me fraush. Doesn't it creepily sound (almost) like Nash?

Fraush. Nash. Nash. Fraush.

Yep. I'd say so.

And it's not just that it sounds similar. It's the fact that it was a nickname. And not the ones I got behind my back in high school. Vampire girl, blood sucker, miss doom and gloom, freaky cutter girl, yeah. You get my point.

But it was an actual nickname. Something I responded to. I told Jesse to stop. Not only because it labeled me as Slut-Of-The-Core-2006 but also because everytime he did it was like Craig calling me Nash. Weird. I know.

And I'm thinking about it now. Now as I'm on this goddamn plane to Vancouvor.

Where is Father Marco when you need him?

**Everyone, please buckle up, we're about to land in Vancouvor. Thank you for flying with Canadian Airlines. **

We're landing? Shit. I always hated that part.

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A/N: What'd ya think... Drabble is fun. A plot is more fun...


	2. Twelve Year Olds

Disclaimer: Not. Mine. Nope.

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I feel like an idiot.

A full on why-the-hell-did-I-do-this idiot.

Not only did I blow my money on a plane ticket, but I skipped classes. On top of that, I don't know my way around Vancouver at all. At. All. Meaning I'm lost. Meaning some creep on the street can jump me and that would be the end of me. Goodbye Ellie Nash.

And now I sound all melodramatic.

Great.

So I'm wandering throughout the Vancouvor airport, walking along all those over priced stores. I'm tired. And I'm getting pretty mad at myself for coming. Just as I'm ready to go back to the help desk and ask when the next flight back to Toronto is, I hear something vaguely familiar.

_For every girl that's unhappy_

I stopped. Where had I heard that before?

The melody continued.

That voice. It was his.

The song ended and the radio hosts were heard.

_That was the first single from Craig Manning. Don't miss him at the Mixed CD store. He'll be there for a signing tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. _

Wait? Did I hear that right?

_That's right folks, don't miss it. Craig Manning at Mixed CD tomorrow. That's on the corner of 3rd and Grey Street._

Yeah. I guess I did.

---

I checked into a hotel. And now I'm sitting on an uncomfortable matress contemplating my situation.

I could go to that signing. Nothing is stopping me. I've got the address and the time. I. Could. Go.

I could not go to the signing. Nothing says I have to. I could get off my ass right now, pick up my unpacked messenger bag, and get on the next flight back to Toronto.

I could return Jesse's phonecalls.

Or I could just sit here and wonder what the hell I am doing in a nasty Vancouvor hotel by myself.

---

Mixed was packed. How the hell did Craig get this popular _this _fast? I mean okay, I get that he's got that whole "I'm actually a teenage boy and within your dating range" thing going for him but this many screaming girls? I mean really.

Not to mention, (ahem) most of them, are twelve.

As I walked into the store, I couldn't help but muffle a laugh. There was a line. A. Line. And these girls had I heart Craig Manning written on their arms. And not "I love Craig Manning." No. I. Then I heart drawn. Then Craig Manning.

And I'm sure you're thinking, uh huh, whatever Ellie. I'm sure _you_ did that when you were twelve. Uh, no. Hell. No.

When I was twelve...well actually, you don't want to know.

Since I was taller than most of them, I could see Craig sitting at the table. He looked good. (Does he ever not?) He had some facial hair and he looked tired. But otherwise, not bad.

He couldn't see me through all the girls. I used this to my advantage. Hey, I was allowed to spy a bit, right?

As I stood in the crowd, I realized how goddamn selfish I was being. Craig was happy. He was happy and he deserved all of it. And I was being stupid. I was being stupid, and emo, and I needed to leave. I needed to go back to Toronto, live my life, and let Craig Manning go.

As I turned to leave, I heard,

"Ellie?"

---

Mwuaha...review...


	3. What Has The World Come To?

Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish.

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"Ellie?"

Holy. Crap. Did he just notice me through my twelve year old girl camaflouge? Damn it. Maybe, if I didn't respond, he would just think he was imagining things.

"Ellie?" I heard again, this time more concrete.

Shit. I guess he wasn't imagining things. By this time, I could feel all those beady twelve year old eyes on the back of my neck. And trust me, they didn't feel good. They felt like they were ready to kill.

I turned around slowly only to have my suspicion confirmed. Everyone had turned around and was staring at me. The twelve year old girls, the record management, the store owners, and most importantly, Mr. Craig Manning himself.

"Ellie!" he said (again), his face turning into a blend of shock and happiness. "What are you doing here?" he questioned as he made his way to where I was standing. The crowd of twelve year olds parted like the Red Sea did when Moses came to it. No. Joke.

"Um...surprise?" I offered, not really knowing how to answer his question. Because really, _I_ didn't know what the hell I was doing there.

He pulled me into a hug as I responded and when he let go he looked straight at me.

"Surprise?" he asked. "For what?"

"Just...surprise." Could I be any lamer?

Though, the answer seemed good enough for him. He took me by the hand and led me to the sea of girls, all of whom by now had turned their beady little stares to full blown death glares. How dare I, an _older_ girl, step on thier turf? Even so, they parted, though not as willingly for me, and I was led to the signing table where Craig had previously been sitting.

"El, this is Seth, my record manager..." He pointed to each individual and told me their name, however, after the record manager part, I kind of zoned out, but got the gist of it.

Here I was, in some random Vancouvor CD store, Craig holding my hand, and twelve year old girls ready to jump me in a dark alley way.

Why was I here again?

Oh. Right. I still hadn't figured that part out yet.

As all this ran through my head, I was brought back to reality by Craig squeezing my hand a bit and saying,

"C'mon El, sit down."

"Huh?" Could you tell I hadn't been getting any sleep?

"Sit down with me," he said again, this time in a more definite tone.

"No, I really can't," I responded, shaking my head.

He smirked. "Whatever, of course you can."

"And you're sure your fan club won't roast me over an open flame and chant some voodoo curse at me?" I smirked back.

He half smiled at me. You know, in his Craig way.

"I dunno, they might. Twelve year olds are pretty vicious. I can only imagine what you did when you were twelve." He smiled. "Really, c'mon. We'll grab coffee when this is over."

I smiled back.

"Okay."

---

We sat in a secluded little coffee shop in Vancouvor. (Starbucks was too popular for Craig, apparently.) His "managment" came with us, to my dismay. But then again, what had I expected? They sat in one corner of the shop, while we sat in the other. This was their idea of giving us some "privacy."

The waitress came over, pen and paper in hand, ready to take our order. She looked about fifteen. Fifteen and like she really didn't want to be there.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"Mocha latte, please," I requested.

"Yeah, make that two," Craig agreed.

She nodded at us and right as she was about to walk away, did a double take.

"Wait are you...no, you can't be. But you are! You're Craig Manning, right?" she asked all jittery.

Craig smiled sheepishly.

"Um yeah, I am."

"Oh. My. God. I LOVE your song! It's amazing! You're amazing! I mean where do you come up with all the..."

At that point I zoned out. This girl just didn't shut up. First I thought she was going to pass out or something, and then she just started spewing word vomit. And it was making _me_ want to vomit. What was the world coming to? First twelve year old girls and now crazy fifteen year olds? Craig is gone for four months and this is what happens? Wow.

Finally, after about ten minutes Craig's so called "management" finally noticed that he was being verbally abused by this sixteen year old and kindly (but forcefully) asked to her to leave him alone. She agreed, but of course first requested an autograph and picture. Claiming her prize she walked away, but first winked at Craig and slid a napkin over to him with her number on it. Now I _really_ wanted to vomit.

"Wow, we're in here ten minutes and the mauling just doesn't stop does it?" I asked.

Craig grinned. "Actually, that wasn't the worst freak out I've gotten."

There was worse? Great.

"Huh, really?"

"What, don't believe me Nash? Just because everybody else has realized my studliness and you haven't."

"Studliness? Pshh. Whatever."

He blushed.

"Wait, Craig, are you blushing? Aw, did I make you blush? How. Cute."

He looked down on the chipped table.

"So, Nash, why the surprise visit?" he asked, obviously wanting to change the subject. I gladly followed suit.

"Oh, I dunno. Had some time and figured you could use some of home here. Even though, ya know, you don't return emails or phone calls." That last part came out a bit bitter. It was meant to.

He looked down again, this time a bit in shame.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about that. You see how crazy my life is right now."

There was that word again. Sorry. Sorry followed by an excuse.

"Don't worry about it," I reassured him.

"So, how are you? What's been going on in Toronto?"

"I'm...well," I concluded. More to myself than Craig. "Nothing really has been going on. School. Writing. The paper. And that's pretty much it."

"No more drumming?" He asked, somewhat disappointed.

"Nope, no more."

He nodded. "Makes sense, I guess." He paused. "So, writing. The journalism thing? It's working out?"

"Yeah. It is. It's working out great." Now Ellie. Now's the perfect time to throw in Jesse. Tell him. Tell him about the amazing guy you met who is crazy about you and wasn't too afraid to admit it to your face. Tell. Him.

Only, I didn't.

One, because Craig started talking again.

Two, something in me just couldn't.

"So I guess we should--"

He was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I took it out of my bag and the caller ID flashed Jesse. I swallowed hard as guilt ran through me. He still had no idea where the hell I was.

"Who's that?"

"Oh, just Ash. I can call her back." Why was I lying? "You were saying?"

"I guess we should get going? Do you have a place to stay? If not, my record company can set something up for you if you want."

I nodded. "Yeah. That'd be great."

He smiled. He smiled that smile at me and for a moment the guilt was gone.

"C'mon," he nodded to the door. "Let's go."

I smiled back and followed him.

Holding my cell phone in my left hand, I heard it beep indicating I had voicemail.

---

A/N: I wrote this around midnight...hehe...its fun...review...


	4. Talks Like A Gentlemen

Disclaimer stands. The song isn't mine either. Credit The Fray, please.

---

Craig's limo driver (yeah, I did say _limo_) took me back to the hotel to get my stuff. Okay, so technically I didn't _need _a place to stay. But if you had a choice between a nasty run down hotel opposed to the Marriot, I'm sure you would choose the latter too.

Getting all of my crap from the hotel wasn't hard considering I hadn't really unpacked any of it. There was still voicemail from Jesse on my cell and some from Marco pestering me to call him and tell him what the hell was going on with the Craig situation. Yes, I did tell someone where I was going in case I needed to escape due to a cult of twelve year olds trying to kick my ass. Not that I had expected it though. But hey, back up in situations like these is never a bad thing.

Anyway, where was I? Oh. Right. I was heading back to Craig's suite in the Marriot Hotel...

The limo pulled up and my stomach did that flippy thing it always did when I was about to go into a situation I wasn't sure about.

Craig was waiting for me inside. (He said he had some surprise, or whatever, so I had to go get my stuff by myself.)

I stepped into the elevator.

What the hell was I even doing here? I should just push the first floor button, catch a taxi, and get my ass to the airport. Too bad that by the time this epiphany came, the elevator had reached its destination. The doors separated and I took a deep breath.

I can still go back. I could push the button to close the doors and it would be over. I would get on a flight back to Toronto and that'd be it.

But. I. Didn't.

I knocked on the door and heard a "Come in!" So I grasped the knob and pushed on the door. I pushed open the door and couldn't believe my eyes.

Craig was standing there with his guitar. He gave me his Craig smile and started singing.

_I never knew_

_I never knew that everything was falling through_

_That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue_

_To turn and run when all I needed was the truth_

_But that's how it's got to be_

_It's coming down to nothing more than apathy_

_I'd rather run the other way than stay and see_

_The smoke and who's still standing when it clears_

_Everyone knows I'm in over m_y _head_

_Over my head_

_Over my head_

_With eight seconds left in overtime_

_She's on your mind_

_She's on your mind_

_Let's rearrange_

_I wish you were a stranger _

_I could disengage_

_Just say that we agree_

_And then never change_

_Soften a bit_

_Until we all just get along_

_But that's disregard_

_You find another friend_

_And you discard_

_As you lose the argument_

_In a cable car_

_Hanging above_

_As the canyon comes between_

_And everyone knows I'm in_

_Over my head_

_Over my head_

_With eight seconds left in overtime_

_She's on your mind_

_She's on your mind_

_And suddenly_

_I've become part of your past_

_I've become the part_

_That don't last_

_I'm losing you _

_And it's effortless_

_Without a sound_

_We lose sight of the ground_

_In the throw around_

_Never thought that you wanted _

_To bring it down_

_I won't let it go down_

_'Till we torch it ourselves_

_Everyone knows I'm in_

_Over my head_

_Over my head_

_With eight seconds left in overtime_

_She's on your mind_

_She's on your mind_

I was speechless. One because that's one of my favorite songs. Ever. Two because if you actually listened to the lyrics, wow. Three, Craig was singing them to _me_.

He put the guitar down and smiled at me.

"So? What did you think?" He ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his neck.

Dear. God.

He actually looked nervous.

I looked down. What do I say to that? Good? Great? Amazing? Yes, amazing.

I looked up, meeting his eyes and I noticed that there were only a few feet between us.

"It was amazing, Craig."

He seemed relieved as the words left my mouth.

"Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled and ran his hands up and down my arms.

"Good...good," he concluded.

I took a deep breath, completely unsure of what was about to happen next.

And then...

_Buzz_

And then my cell phone rang. Or more like vibrated inside my jean pocket. Apparently, my jeans were too tight to be holding my phone because as I tried to pull it out, I couldn't. Pulling a little harder it finally budged but I guess I pulled too hard because it flang out of my pocket and onto the expensive, marble floor. I immediately dropped to the floor to pick it up. Unfortunately, Craig beat me to it.

"Stupid thing. I really, I really just need to get a new phone." God. I was stuttering. _Stuttering_.

"Don't worry about it. I drop my phone everywhere." Just as he was about to hand it to me, Craig opened it to see who called me.

His face twisted into a confused look.

"Jesse? Who's Jesse?"

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A/N: Hehehe... that preview... oh yes ... hehehe... review, please...Extra points to anyone who knows the song that the chapter title comes from...


	5. Because

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, not mine. Also, there's a line in here I stole from the preview, for those who have seen it, you know what it is. That isn't mine either.

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"Jesse? Who's Jesse?"

Shit.

shitshitshitshitshit

My secret is out. My cover is blown. Cat's out of the bag. That's it, folks.

"Ellie?"

"Huh?"

"Who's Jesse?" he asked. (again.)

"My… He's my boyfriend," I stammered, still not able to meet his eyes.

There was a moment of silence.

"Oh."

His reaction was barely audible and when I finally looked up, I saw some disappointment in his face. (Or maybe it was just wishful thinking?) He silently handed me back my cell phone and walked a few steps away from me.

"Your… your room is over here and uh, there's food in the kitchen if you get hungry or whatever. Not that you probably will but…"

All of his broken speech took place with his back to me. And when he was done, he just walked into a bedroom leaving me standing there holding my goddamn cell phone.

Great.

I didn't know what to do. Obviously Craig wasn't happy. But I couldn't really get why. I mean, he still had Manny. Hell, he had _chosen_ Manny. And did I give him any crap about it? No. I didn't. I lived with it. I lived with them being all PDA and disgusting at school and at band practice. So what right did he have to act all mad when I finally found someone?

I stood there for a couple of more seconds and then decided to go confront the problem. There was no use just avoiding each other, right?

I walked to his room. (Slowly, I may add.)

Finally I got there and stopped at the door. It was slightly open. I took this as a good sign because at least he didn't slam it shut. Peering through the opening, I noticed that he was laying on the bed, shirt off, eyes closed, and his hands behind his head. I took a moment to enjoy the view. (You know you'd do the same thing.) Then, I knocked.

He jumped a little at the sound.

"El?"

"Who else?" I took a few steps further.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

Ouch.

"I just… Craig, why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" he retorted. Rather defensively if you asked me.

"Like that." I was now fully in the room.

"What? Surprised? Mad?"

"And defensive? Yeah."

He got off the bed and stepped towards me.

"Because, Ellie."

"Because why, Craig?"

The next thing I knew, Craig's mouth was on mine and I was pushed against the wall, his hands holding my wrists up.

Half of me wanted to keep going. It's what I had wanted for a while. The other half knew he wasn't treating me fairly. I had a boyfriend. And he had no right to do this now. Not. Now.

I pushed him off.

He looked confused.

"Craig…"

"What, El? What?"

"That! What was that?"

He paused. "_That_ was your answer."

I didn't know what to say.

He stepped closer to me and kissed me again. I pushed him off again.

"You, bastard." He winced a bit at my words. I kept going. "You have no right to do that. Not when I have a boyfriend I'm happy with."

"Happy? Right, you're _so_ happy."

"I am!" I was lying

"So then why are you here?"

Good. Question.

"Because."

He raised an eyebrow. "Because, why?"

"Because. Because every time anyone mentions you, I feel like laughing and crying all at the same time. Because every time my boyfriend calls me Fraush, it's you calling me Nash. Because sometimes, when I'm with Jesse, I start to call him Craig without meaning to. Because you're everywhere and no where all at once."

He stepped closer, listening intently to my rant.

"And because even though I know this is weird, it feels right."

He nodded, completely understanding my words. And then he kissed me. Not like before, because then he had to prove a point. Now he kissed me hard. He kissed me hungry. He kissed me like he had been waiting to kiss me for his entire life.

I kissed him back.

And all the while, my cell phone buzzed on the floor where I had dropped it.

Shit.

---

A/N: Yay, the anonymous reviewer and Musical Influence get cookies for guessing the name of the chapter correctly! So, in the spirit of giving… review. Please? You know you want to.


	6. None At All

"El?"

"Hmm?"

"You smell good," Craig said in a sleepy voice. Then I felt his nose nuzzle into my neck.

I was lying against Craig, his body silhouetting mine, his arms around my waist, his fingers intertwined with mine.

And I felt all mistress-like. Because if you thought about it, that's what I had become the moment I kissed him back. And now we were falling asleep on the same bed, our bodies shelled together. And it felt good. It felt amazing. It felt wrong. And it felt right. And somewhat dirty. Which oddly, was how I expected it to, Jesse, or no Jesse. Craig wasn't perfect. And I never expected being with him to be perfect. I expected it to be complicated. And I expected it to be dirty.

All of this ran though my head as Craig kissed my neck and behind my earlobe. I smiled to myself and then I frowned. This moment would be perfect. It was perfect. But then I heard my cell buzzing again. I could practically see the caller ID flashing my boyfriend's name.

"Craig…"

"Mmm?"

"Craig." I said his name again, this time urgent.

This time he lifted his head.

"What, what's wrong?"

I scooted away from him.

"Jesse. It's Jesse. Again."

"Oh."

It was the same 'oh' he gave me when I had told him about Jesse.

There was a moment of silence and then to my surprise, Craig spoke again.

"So, what are you going to do?"

I rolled on my stomach and faced him.

"What do you mean?" Even though I knew exactly what he meant. It was the same question I had been asking myself all night.

He sighed.

"I mean, who are you going to choose?"

I sighed and started tugging at those stupid elastic bands around my wrists.

"El…"

"What, Craig, what?"

"You're doing it again."

I looked up at him, confused. What the hell was he talking about?

He took my wrist into his hand, lining the elastic bands with his fingers.

"Pulling at the bands," he whispered.

"So?" I snapped, pulling my wrist away.

"So, you're confused. And you're scared."

"No. I'm not. I'm not scared of anything." As the words came out of my mouth like paint, I started to shake. "I… I just can't."

"Can't, what?"

Tears started slowly trailing down my face.

"Do this. I can't do this." I got off the bed and crossed my arms. I was pacing. Pacing. Me. Wow.

"Why not?"

"Because. Because how do I know you won't see some brunette on the street and decide to go for her? How do I know I'm worth it? How do I know that tomorrow, you'll want me here? How do I know you won't… How do I know you won't leave…? Again."

There was a pause. Why was I so goddamn scared of his answer?

"You. Don't."

I turned around and faced him.

"That's what I thought," I spat out.

It was what I thought, but I wasn't exactly expecting him to say it out loud. Not that bluntly anyway. But I guess part of me was happy he did. At least he wasn't lying anymore.

I started to walk out of the room.

"Ellie! Wait!"

I wouldn't. Not. Anymore. I was done waiting for him. It was my turn to walk away this time.

"Damn it, Ellie! Will you wait?" I felt him grab my arm and spin me around just as I made it to the door. "Let me explain."

I shook my head.

"What's to explain? Your words were very clear to me."

"What I meant was, you don't _know_. You. Don't. All I can give you is my word and you can choose to believe what you want. And yeah, I haven't given you _any_ reason to trust me. None. At All." He paused. "Now it's your call, Nash. What do _you_ want?"

Damn it. Why was he making it so hard to hate him? Why did he always make it hard to hate him?

_Ring_

Nope, it wasn't my clueless boyfriend back in Toronto this time.

But Craig didn't budge despite that it was his phone ringing.

Nope.

He was waiting for my answer.

---

A/N: hehehehehe… review!


	7. Cheesy, Corny, Cliche

Disclaimer: Nope. Not. Mine.

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"Now it's your call, Nash. What do _you_ want?"

What did I want?

I wanted to be happy.

I wanted Craig to be happy.

I wanted Jesse to be happy.

But whatever I chose to do, one of us wouldn't be.

I looked away from Craig.

"I don't know," I whispered.

There was a pause.

"Goddamn it, Ellie!" Craig yelled.

Now I was getting angry.

"What, Craig? What the hell do you want from me?" I spat.

"I want you to make a fucking choice! That's what I want! I've made myself and what I want pretty clear to you so now it's your turn. Choose."

He paused and looked me straight in the eye.

"I've spent five goddamn months in this city. I've toured, I've sang, I've recorded. I've gone _insane_. And not the insane I talked about everyday in group. No. Every redhead I see is you. Every sarcastic voice is your voice. Every laugh is your laugh. Every girl I see, I want to call Ellie. And I get mad at every other girl named Ellie for not having red hair."

He paused again.

"Do you get it? You. Have. To. Choose."

Why couldn't I just say it?

I want you. Iwantyou. I. Want. You. Damn it, how hard is that to say out loud?

So instead, I kissed him. I kissed him hard and ran my fingers through his shaggy hair. My gesture surprised Craig and it surprised me.

"I want you," I whispered, taking a breath.

Craig smiled. "Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He laughed and picked me up, swinging me over his shoulder. I laughed. I actually laughed. A _real_ laugh.

Craig put me down and kissed me. He kissed me softly and slowly.

When he was done he said, "El?"

"Yeah?"

"You better not go anywhere."

"Okay. There may be one little problem though."

"That being?"

"I may get murdered by a cult of twelve year olds."

He smiled.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They're pretty vicious, but so are you. I remember when you almost kicked Spinner's ass."

I smiled.

"He deserved it."

Craig tucked my hair behind my ear. It was corny. And cliché. But at this point, I didn't give a damn about who thought what.

Because everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be fine.

And yeah, he hadn't given me one damn good reason to believe what he said.

But I did.

And I don't exactly know why.

Maybe it was the smile.

Maybe it was the hair.

Or maybe it was just the fact that he understood.

He understood my humor. He understood my actions (most of the time.) And he understood me.

And yeah that sounds lame. And it sounds all –dear-lord-Ellie-what-are-you-on?- But I really didn't care.

I was happy. I was finally happy. I wasn't pretending. And I wasn't forcing it. And it felt good.

"Craig?"

"Yeah?"

"You never answered your phone."

"I know."

"What if it was important?"

"It wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're sitting right next to me, Nash."

I raised an eyebrow.

Craig leaned in and kissed me.

"The only person who's important is finally here."

I smiled at him and he intertwined his fingers with mine.

Cheesy? Yeah.

Corny? Definitely.

Cliché? For sure.

And did I love it? Absolutely.

* * *

A/N: Fin. Reviews would be nice… characters? Story overall? Any continuation of sorts? 


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